Just like residential real estate contracts, Dallas commercial real estate contracts have their share of contingencies. In short, contingencies are found in most real estate contracts and are essentially "escape clauses" for both the buyer and the seller.

Each party wants to make sure they are protected in the real estate contract, so real estate contingencies are a common occurrence. They often make the contract much easier to handle for both the buyer and the seller, as it provides them with an opportunity to back out of the contract for a number of reasons.

Although both residential and Dallas commercial real estate contracts both have contingencies, the contingencies themselves are quite a bit different. The following list details some of the common contingencies found in Dallas commercial real estate contracts:

• When purchasing a parcel of land for Dallas commercial real estate, the contract may be subject to the approval of the buyer’s attorney. Because Dallas commercial real estate contracts may be decidedly more in depth than residential real estate contracts, waiting on the approval of your attorney when buying Dallas commercial real estate is quite common. It is also common to have a contingency that is based on a business professional’s partner or investor, as it is important to get approval from everyone involved before the contract is finalized.

• Many commercial real estate contracts include contingencies that are based on financing approval for the buyer. For tracts of land, this contingency may include approval of a legal survey, if one has not already been done. In addition, a buyer will likely want to include in the purchase agreement some language about obtaining necessary permits and zoning for the commercial property.

• When speaking of commercial tracts of land, there may be a contingency with verbiage regarding liens on the property. In particular, the purchase of the land will be contingent on no "environmental cleanup" liens.

• It is common to have a contingency based on: the buyer achieving a loan of at least 75 percent of the purchase price of the Dallas commercial real estate property; the buyer being satisfied with the inspector’s report; and the buyer being satisfied that the property can be remodeled or renovated to his or her satisfaction. In other words, the buyer will likely include a series of contingencies based on the use of the commercial property and how it can and cannot be used.

The use of a realtor qualified in commercial real estate is crucial, as he or she will be able to guide you when making a commercial real estate transaction. Real estate companies, like VIP Realty, have a plethora of highly qualified and experienced realtors who have extensive experience in dealing with commercial real estate contracts. It is important to never enter into any type of real estate purchase agreement, whether residential or commercial, without advice from a trusted realtor and real estate attorney, as they will be able to best protect your interest in the real estate transaction.